Yakima County Farmworker Dies from Bird Flu After Dairy Exposure
A Yakima County, Washington, resident has died of H5N1 bird flu after exposure to infected dairy cattle, the Yakima Health District announced. The person had underlying health conditions; officials say public risk remains low.
Newsnibs Staff
- 2026-11-03
- Updated 4:00 AM UTC
(Yakima County, United States)
A Yakima County, Washington, resident has died of complications from H5N1 avian influenza after being exposed to infected cattle at a dairy in the county, the Yakima Health District announced. The person had underlying health conditions and was hospitalized before dying. The district has not released their name, saying it is acting "out of respect for the family's privacy." One report describes the person as a farmworker.
It is the first U.S. bird flu death this year, according to the Associated Press. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first U.S. death from the virus in January 2025. The CDC has counted 72 human cases nationwide since 2024.
"Our hearts go out to the individual's family and loved ones during this difficult time," said Dr. Dave Atteberry, the district's health officer. He called the death "serious and heartbreaking" and said avian influenza "can cause severe illness, particularly among people who have underlying health conditions."
The district has now confirmed three human cases in Yakima County. A second case, reported Saturday, involved a person with underlying conditions. Accounts differ on how ill that person was. The third case is a county resident who was exposed to infected cattle at a dairy there. That person was not hospitalized and was not severely ill. One report describes them as asymptomatic.
Health officials say the risk to the general public remains low. Dairy workers and others in close contact with infected animals face a higher risk. Officials are monitoring close contacts of the patients for symptoms. The health district says person-to-person transmission is "extremely rare and has never been documented in the United States."
The virus is spreading through dairy herds in Yakima and Benton counties. As of October 29, the Washington State Department of Agriculture counted 33 positive herds in Yakima County and one in Benton County. The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory ran more than 7,000 on-farm tests over the past two years, and all were negative until early October.
Governor Bob Ferguson is being briefed and is coordinating with public health and agriculture officials. He expressed sympathy and advised workers at affected farms to take safety precautions. He repeated that the risk to the public is low.
The health district will update YakimaHealthDistrict.org/BirdFlu every Monday and Thursday at 2 p.m.
Photo by Megumi Nachev on Unsplash
